A lift assembly of this type comprises a platform laterally supported by an armature and carried from a vertical stored position inside the vehicle to a horizontal position exteriorly of the vehicle and level with the vehicle floor and to a ground position.
The user wheels himself onto the platform and actuates means to displace the platform from the vehicle level to the ground or inversely.
This type of known lift assembly (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,651,965 dated May 28, 1972 to Clever Industries) is stored in the vehicle but uses a relatively large percentage of the floor area and, moreover, the platform 4, when in stored position, obstructs the door opening, thus preventing a non-invalid person from using it. Also, the hydraulic systems used to raise or lower the platform are generally bulky and complex.
Other types of lifts have attempted to solve these problems. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,802,095, 6,379,102, 6,585,474, 6,086,314, 6,062,805, 5,944,473, 5,605,431, 5,556,250, 5,445,488, all of which are incorporated herein in their entireties by reference.
Therefore, a need exists for a lift assembly mounted in a vehicle and foldable into a compact position within the latter.